Warren J. Dietz
Warren J. Dietz, 71, of Ojai, died Thursday, Dec. 11, 2003. He was born June 16, 1912, in Sleepy Eye, Minn.
Mr. Dietz is survived by three children and two grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Jan. 24, 2004, at 10 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Ojai.
Richard E. Grau
Richard E. Grau, 68, of Ojai, Calif., entered the church triumphant, January 5, 2004. A mechanical engineer and graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, he retired from Fed-Ex in 1995. Additionally, he honorably served in the U.S. Army.
He leaves his wife, Marion; two sons by a previous marriage, Richard M. Grau of Tampa, Fla., and Major Andrew J. Grau, U.S.A.F., of Woodbridge, Va.; daughter-in-law Deborah; three grandchildren, Rebecca, Brandt and Christina, all of Virginia; and a brother, Herbert Grau of Omaha, Neb.
Inurnment will be private. Memorials may be made to Help of Ojai or American Cancer Society.
Marjorie A. Poling
Marjorie A. Poling, 91, of Ojai, died Thursday, Jan. 16, 2003 of natural causes. She was born Feb. 7, 1911 in Jefferson City, Mo., and had lived in Ojai for two years, coming from Santa Paula.
Mrs. Poling was a homemaker. She was a member of the Santa Paula Eastern Star, and her interests included fishing, hunting, sewing and cooking.
She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Marjorie and Cal Carnaham of Laguna Niguel, and Pinky and Gary Belshe of Ojai; sons and daughters-in-law Martin and Arlene Poling of Thousand Oaks, and Carl and Paula Poling of Thousand Palms; 14 grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Leonard L. Poling.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Jan. 18, at 4:30 p.m. at St. Joseph's Chapel in Ojai.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Lester "Les" Acosta
Lester "Les" Acosta, 41, of Idaho Springs, Colo., died Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003, after a long battle with cancer. He died at University Hospital in Denver, with his wife, Katie, and stepson Michael by his side. He was born April 10, 1961 in Ojai.
He grew up and spent most of his life in the Ojai Valley.
Mr. Acosta is survived by his wife, Katie, of Idaho Springs; son Todd of Beaverton, Colo.; stepchildren Elaine, Michael and Christopher, all of Colorado; mother Judy Acosta, and father and stepmother Ernie and Bettye Acosta, all of Ojai; mother-in-law Cammie Conlon of Fort Bragg, Calif.; brother and nephew, Ron and Tyler Acosta, and sister and niece Jennifer and Jessica Ammerman, all of Ojai; maternal grandmother Dorothy Todd of Ojai; paternal grandmother Angelina Hull of Santa Paula; maternal aunts and uncles Jerry and Jack Todd, and JoAnn, Ron and cousin Kelly Hager, all of Ojai; paternal aunts and uncles Richard and Marlene Acosta, Linda and Doug Kaser, Katy and Dick Johnson, all of Ojai, Elaine and Bob Johnson of Sonora, Calif., and Allan and Juanita Acosta of Reno, Nev.; and many cousins.
He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, C.B. Todd and Manuel Acosta.
A memorial service will be held Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m. at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai. Private interment
of ashes will follow at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to a cancer fund of your choice.
Local arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
Richard J. Ortega
Richard J. Ortega, 79, died Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003 in Cadet, Mo. He was born Nov. 5, 1923 in Ventura, Calif., a descendant of Ventura County's pioneer Ortega family. He was the son of Joseph and Adelina (Bracamonte) Ortega.
He was in the U.S. Army, 335th Infantry Regiment, 84th Infantry Division during World War II, serving in the European Theater in Ardunnes, Rhineland, and Central Europe. He was a rail-splitter.
Mr. Ortega volunteered for the Red Ball Express and was awarded the Purple Heart, the World War II Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, and European/African Middle-Eastern Medal. He was a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Ventura Power Squadron.
Mr. Ortega was the owner of Ortega's Tortilla Factory in Ventura during the 1950s, and owned Don Ricardo's Restaurant in Ojai during the 1960s. He retired in 1985 and moved to Missouri.
He is survived by his wife, Loretta Ortega, of Cadet, Mo.; daughters Jacqueline Ortega-Aguirre and Geraldine Romo, and sons Rick and Kirk Ortega, all of Ventura; seven grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the chapel of the Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home, 757 E. Main St., Ventura, where friends may visit from 2 p.m. until the service time.
Arrangements are under the direction of Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home, Ventura.
Ruby M. Harris
Ruby M. Harris, 98, of Ventura, died Saturday, Jan. 25, 2003. She was born March 22, 1904 in Prentiss, Miss. She and her late husband, Glenn Harris, resided at the Ventura Townhouse for the past 20 years, coming from Brea, Calif.
Mrs. Harris is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Albert Harris and Rosa Lee Measures, of Ventura; daughter and son-in-law Barbara and Stan Olson of Brea; grandson Dr. Wyatt Harris and his wife, Claudia, of Ojai; granddaughter Diane Stevens and her husband, David, of Ojai; granddaughter Dena Slifer of Santa Fe, N.M.; granddaughters Christina Waldhoff and her husband, Stephen, and Nikki Nietz and her husband, Brad, all of Minnesota; stepgrandson Nicholas Measures, and stepgranddaughter Tami Quam and her husband, Michael, all of Ventura; and nine great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 75 years, Glenn Harris, in September 1997.
Family services were held Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m. at El Portal de la Paz Mausoleum, Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, Calif., with the Rev. Betty Alvarez Ham officiating.
Memorial donations may be made to your favorite charity.
Arrangements were under the direction of Sherry Scott, longtime family friend, with Ted Mayr Funeral Home, Ventura.
David Morse Barry
David Morse Barry, 76, of Ojai, died Monday, Jan. 20, 2003. He was born March 19, 1926 in Santa Barbara, Calif. He lived in Europe and Asia for many years and settled in Ojai in 1984 after hearing J. Krishnamurti speak.
His interests included classical music, art, world literature, astronomy and cats.
Mr. Barry is survived by his niece-companion, Carol Goehausen, and four siblings.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Gerald Edward Duncan
Gerald Edward Duncan, 91, of Ojai, died Monday, Dec. 29, 2003 at Acacias Care Center following a brief illness. He was born Feb. 8, 1912 in Philadelphia, Pa., and lived in Ojai for three years, coming from Santa Monica, Calif.
Mr. Duncan was retired from a career in the civil service.
He is survived by daughter Rita Inman of Twin Falls, Idaho; son Jerry Duncan of Ojai; grandchildren, Amber, Alison, Terry, Linda, Alice; and three great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be held Saturday, Jan. 3, 2004 at 11 a.m. at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, Calif.
Memorial contributions may be made to Help of Ojai.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
Gilbert H. Schubert
Gilbert H. Schubert, 76, of Ojai died at his home on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2003. He was born Sept. 30, 1927 in Oak Park, Ill., and lived in Ojai for 22 years, coming from Lake Forest, Ill.
Mr. Schubert had a 50-year career in the securities business and most recently as a private investment advisor. He was a longtime Rotarian and a former member of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1946 and 1947 and the U.S. Marine Corps from April 1951 through December 1953, where he achieved the rank of sergeant. He was also a graduate of the University of Michigan, Class of 1950.
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Schubert of Ojai; son Jim Schubert of Fischer, Texas; daughter and son-in-law Sally and Greg Huff of Fischer, Texas; step-son Jeffrey Marvin and wife Annabelle of Melbourne, Australia; sister and brother-in-law Claire and Bob Brine of Edmonds, Wash.; and four grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by son Joseph Schubert in 1986 and first wife, Evie, in 1987.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 10 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, with Father Michael McFadden, O.S.A., officiating. Interment
will be at Santa Paula Cemetery, Santa Paula, Calif.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
David James Gardner
David James Gardner, 95, of Ojai, died Friday, Jan. 31, 2003. He was born Nov. 5, 1907 in Burnettsville, Ind., to James Madison and Mary Elizabeth Gardner.
His family moved to the San Fernando Valley during his high school years. He served as president of his senior class at Van Nuys High School in 1925, and claimed varsity letters in football, basketball, track and baseball. As a teenager attending the youth group of Van Nuys First Baptist Church, he met Ruth Virginia Luntsford, and in 1929, they married.
Mr. Gardner was a businessman in the Southern California area. His business interests included oil distribution and real estate development. He also served as a deacon and business manager for the Van Nuys First Baptist Church.
In 1963, Mr. and Mrs. Gardner moved to Ojai, where Mr. Gardner was involved in the ministries of the Ojai Valley Community Church for 38 years. He contributed to the Ojai Valley community through Help of Ojai as a van driver and delivering Meals on Wheels. He was also a pancake breakfast chef at Ojai Valley Estates.
His interests included traveling and camping and fishing on the Klamath River. He was a sports fan of the USC Trojans, the L.A. Dodgers and the Anaheim Lakers.
Mr. Gardner is survived by his brother, Glenn Gardner; daughters and sons-in-law Dona and Gene LeMelle, and Dolores and Mike Hoover; eight grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Ruth Virginia Gardner, in 2000, and his daughter, Doris McConnell, in 1990.
Visitation was held Sunday, Feb. 2, from noon to 6 p.m. at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai. A service in celebration of his life was held Monday, Feb. 3, at 2 p.m. at the Ojai Valley Baptist Church. Interment
was Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 10 a.m. at Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Gideons International.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
Margaret "Madge" Southby
Margaret "Madge" Southby, , died Monday, Jan. 13, 2003 in Melbourne, Australia, where she had returned some years back to be with her family after the death of her husband, Leonard.
While residing in Ojai, she was a member of the Ojai Presbyterian Church and the Mariners' Club, as well as the Double Duffers Golf Club.
She is survived by her sons, David and Robert, and their wives, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all in Australia.
She was preceded in death by her sons, Geoff and John, and her husband, Leonard.
Frances P. Amoruso
Frances P. Amoruso, 95, of Ojai, died Friday, Jan. 31, 2003, following a long illness. She was born Sept. 16, 1907 in San Jose, Calif., and lived in Ojai for six years, coming from Fresno.
Mrs. Amoruso was a homemaker with many interests and talents.
She is survived by the Petropulos, Dalto, McElroy and Batchelder families, including many nieces, nephews and extended family.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Amoruso, in 1992.
Private family services will be held at St. Peter's Cemetery in Fresno.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
Trinidad N. Visencio
Trinidad N. Visencio, 89, of Ojai, died Thursday, Jan. 30, 2003 in Ojai following a brief illness. She was born Oct. 17, 1913 in Zacatecas, Mexico, and lived in Ojai since 1945, coming from Mexico.
Mrs. Visencio was a homemaker and member of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Ojai.
She is survived by her son, Louis H. Visencio, of Camarillo; grandchildren Michael and Lauren; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Catarino Visencio.
Visitation was held Monday, Feb. 3, from 2 to 8 p.m. at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai, with rosary recited at 7 p.m.
Mass of Christian Burial was held Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 10 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, with Father Michael McFadden officiating. Interment
was to be at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park immediately following Mass.
Memorial Contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
Lillian V. "Toots" Jackson
Lillian V. "Toots" Jackson, 92, of Ojai, died Sunday, Feb. 3, 2003 after a brief illness. She was born in Deer Lake, N.D., and, at age 7, moved with her widowed mother and four siblings to Ventura, where her grandparents operated a small hotel and boarding facility.
In 1933 she married W. Wilbert Jackson and together they operated a small grocery store in the Ventura Avenue area. They moved to the Ojai Valley in 1944 and opened another grocery store, Jackson's Market, in Meiners Oaks. In 1956 they sold that business and purchased a ranch in the west end of the Ojai Valley where they grew oranges.
Mrs. Jackson's interests included gardening, fishing and camping with friends and family.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Dennis and Nancy Jackson; grandson Chris and granddaughter Holly; three great-grandsons; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Wilbert; a daughter, Charlene; brothers Jay Pendergast, Wayne Pendergast, Squibbs Pendergast and Virgil Stoner; and sisters Mae Pendergast Bernhardt and Adeline Pendergast Cook.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai, with services to be held at that facility on Monday, Feb. 10, at 10 a.m.
Louis Hurak
Louis Hurak, 82, of Ojai, died Monday, Feb. 3, 2003, after a long battle with cancer. He was born Sept. 26, 1920 in Philadelphia, Pa., to Emma Slabey and Charles Hurak, both Czechoslovakian immigrants.
He graduated from North East High in Philadelphia, where he was involved in the gymnastics program. He joined the U.S. Navy on June 11, 1940, seeking a career in the electrical field. After boot camp in Newport, R.I., he was assigned to the destroyer, USS Sigourney, in the North Atlantic.
Mr. Hurak served in combat missions throughout the Pacific on the heavy cruiser, USS Chester, during the Pearl Harbor attack. In October 1942, his ship was torpedoed and they put in to Sidney, Australia, for repairs. From there, he went back to the East Coast, where he served on the PC591 in the invasions of North Africa, Italy, Sicily, and southern France. Mr. Hurak also served off the South American coast on the USS Trumpeter.
On Jan. 6, 1945, he married Amelia Mollie Hedbavney, also of Philadelphia, and of Czechoslovakian immigrant parents. When the war ended, Mr. Hurak was assigned to special services duty at Willow Grove Naval Air Station in Pennsylvania. While stationed there, he built a family home in Warrington, Pa.
In 1956, the family moved to Port Hueneme, where Mr. Hurak was a Seebee at the U.S. Naval Constrution Battalion, serving tours of duty in the Philippines and Okinawa. In 1960, they went to the U.S. Naval Radio Station, Polaris Weapon Center in Cutler, Maine, and returned to California in 1961, when Mr. Hurak retired from the Navy.
For a period of time, Mr. Hurak worked for Southern California Edison Company at the Mandalay Generating Station, and as the senior electrical inspector for the County of Ventura. He was called back into the Navy as an electrical instructor at the Seabee base in Port Hueneme, and retired again after 2-1/2 years in 1978.
Working at retirment, Mr. and Mrs. Hurak then went up to Yellowstone National Park, where he did electrical maintenance during the park's open season for 10-1/2 years.
Mr. Hurak's interests included traveling, and he made trips to Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, Mexico, the Panama Canal, and Hawaii. He sang with the Oxnard Barbershop Chorus for 10 years and traveled with them to Atlantic City. He was also with the Coast Guard Auxiliary for 20 years, and was an active member of the Masons and Shriners in Oxnard.
Mr. and Mrs. Hurak also served on two mission-work trips to Kauai, and Hilo, Hawaii.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mollie; daughters and sons-in-law Jane and Doug Payne of Ventura, and Joan and John Welborn of Ojai; daughter Sue Hendrickson of Oxnard; son and daughter-in-law Louis and Becky Hurak of Ojai; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
The family would like to extend thanks to Dr. Evan Slater for his medical expertise and care.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Feb. 8, at 1:30 p.m. at Ventura Missionary Church, with Pastor Mark Holman and former Pastor Leonard DeWitt officiating. A reception in the Fireside Room will immediately follow the service.
Arrangements are under the direction of Charles Carroll Funeral Directors, Ventura.
